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The LSG procedure involves major gastric resection as 60–80% of the stomach capacity is removed including the ghrelin producing fundus (Snyder-Marlow et al. in J Am Diet Assoc 110:600–607, 2010). Accordingly, weight loss occurs through a combination of food restriction and a hormonal mechanism (Karamanakos et al. in Ann Surg 247:401–407, 2008). The consequences of the limited oral intake, food intolerance, and malabsorption following LSG are a major nutritional concern in the short and long term. Obesity is associated with low micronutrient levels. Although, obese individuals have excess energy stores, they are quite often not well nourished. Many obese subjects have already existing nutritional deficiencies before bariatric procedures. These deficiencies commonly include iron, vitamin B12, thiamin, folate, and vitamin D. Screening and correction of micronutrient deficiencies preoperatively are crucial, as these deficiencies may be more exacerbated post bariatric procedures. In this chapter, we will explore the effect of pre-op nutritional deficiencies and excess micronutrient levels, the deficiencies that exist, and their management.

The popularity of Sleeve gastrectomy’s is on a continues rise, with the sums performed outnumbering those of other bariatric procedures in many countries around the world. In the USA alone, the percentage of sleeve’s went up from 38 to 63% from the years 2012 to 2015, corresponding to a decrease in the number of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from 44 to 30%. This brings into question the importance of analyzing the cost-effectiveness of these procedures in order to provide each individual patient with the most appropriate plan of action according to their needs. This information, however, has been sparse, with only the By-Band-Sleeve (BBS) trial currently being conducted to fill these gaps. In this chapter, we look into the cost evaluation methodology for surgical techniques, as well as the cost of the sleeve around the world.

Since the 20th century, portable electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones, tablets, and medical implants have emerged in our daily life. All these devices are mainly power supplied by batteries. However, their lifespan is a major disadvantage. This challenge becomes more critical when it comes to Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs). Therefore, Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is considered as a promising alternative to overcome this challenge. The near-field magnetic WPT approach is a common-used way to power-up active implants wirelessly. Although many improvements have made on the implant’s design and their remote powering approaches, stringent requirements and several parameters should be considered during the design of the WPT system, such as the power transfer efficiency, the transfer distance, the implant size, and its biocompatibility. In this paper, a comprehensive study of the commonly proposed approaches to power-up IMDs have been reviewed. In particular, various advanced mechanisms and technical solutions related to the Near-field magnetic WPT approach have been discussed. These solutions are carried out to optimize transcutaneous WPT transfer efficiency, maintaining robustness and safety against many factors such as coil misalignments and load variations. Human safety concerns and exposure limits to the electromagnetic field by respecting international guidelines are also explored in this review. Finally, a summary of relevant information and directions for future research investigations are provided.

Bariatric surgery has now provided a new option for overweight patients that have attempted conventional weight loss methods and failed. With more studies being performed covering health and the detriments that come with increasing BMI’s, the different emerging methods of weight loss have caught the attention of physicians, researchers, and patients alike, trying to provide the best option catered to each person individually. Currently, multiple endoscopic procedures exist that are sought after due to the fact that they can be considered as ‘less invasive’ bariatric procedures. However, long-term success rates of these procedures, especially in patients with higher BMI’s, have shown to be lower than their surgical ‘invasive’ counterparts. Nowadays, sleeve gastrectomy has become the most performed bariatric procedure in the world, overtaking the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Therefore, it is understandable why it is considered a good option for revision following a failed endoscopic bariatric procedure. In this chapter we go over the conversion of the POSE procedure, the Endosleeve and the balloon into a sleeve gastrectomy.

This research aims to develop an assessment framework to analyze the user friendliness of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a future mode that enables autonomous inner-city, on-demand transport in passenger drones. The relevant demand and acceptance drivers are derived from a meta-analysis of urban mode choice factors and studies on UAM mode choice and acceptance specifically. By applying this framework, the potential of UAM is analyzed in terms of users’ new options in their daily travel behavior, fostering seamless inter- and multi-modal mobility. Considering the factors relevant for gaining users’ confidence, three different operational concepts [UAMaaS (UAM as a service), UAT (Urban Air Taxi) and UAM platinum] are assessed, showing that the concepts answer different user segments’ needs.